Gene Hackman. Denzel Washington. Tom Hanks. Bill Murray. Some of my favorite movie stars are in that list for good reason. Hackman, a wonderfully brutal character actor, was Bob Knight with a heart in Hoosiers. Denzel Washington was Malcolm X. Tom Hanks is, well, Tom Hanks and Bill Murray delivered some of my favorite comedic performances of all time.

But, Patrick Stewart is now at the top of my list.

When I was first introduced to Sir Patrick Stewart, it was as Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise. I was not a trekkie and paid only passing attention to the original Star Trek series, but when Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the airwaves in the early '90s, I was hooked, mainly thanks to their captain and star in Stewart.

I followed him through various roles, forgettable (Conspiracy Theory) and heartwarming (A Christmas Carol), and wished I could have seen his one-man portrayal of Scrooge on Broadway. I, naturally, found him both compelling and charming as Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series. But, what I have grown to love about Stewart over the years has less to do with his career and more to do with his personality.

There are guys (and gals) who love Hollywood and those who hate it. The ones who hate it seem perpetually perturbed and put out by it all. But those who embrace the lunacy of the movie business look like they are having more fun than the law should allow. Guys like George Clooney, Hanks and Matt Damon, among many others, appear to revel in their lives in the spotlight. Charming actors like Jennifer Lawrence endear themselves to an entire generation of movie goers just because they love the life they chose.

Then there's Jack Nicholson, perhaps the most visible movie star in Hollywood and a guy who clearly wants you to know his life is better than yours, but in a way that makes you grin and dream, not grit your teeth and curse.